Managing drought risk with a computer model of the Raritan River Basin water-supply system in central New Jersey

The reservoirs and pumping stations that comprise the Raritan
River Basin water-supply system and its interconnections to the
Delaware-Raritan Canal water-supply system, operated by the
New Jersey Water Supply Authority (NJWSA), provide potable
water to central New Jersey communities. The water reserve of
this combined system can easily be depleted by an extended
period of below-normal precipitation. Efficient operation of the
combined system is vital to meeting the water-supply needs of
central New Jersey. In an effort to improve the efficiency of the
system operation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in
cooperation with the NJWSA, has developed a computer model
that provides a technical basis for evaluating the effects of
alternative patterns of operation of the Raritan River Basin
water-supply system. This fact sheet describes the model, its
technical basis, and its operation.